Michæl McFarland Campbell

Back in August, I set a goal to stay consistent with my medication routine. It’s a vital part of my health journey, but, as with many routines, it’s easier planned than done! I began recording each day in a planner, tracking when I had taken each medication. Initially, I thought planning ahead would help, so I mapped out three weeks over a two-page spread. But before long, it became overwhelming. I found myself missing days, then entire weeks, and then the notebook itself eventually got misplaced.

Restarting with a simpler system

Now, as November approaches, I’m ready for a fresh start with a more streamlined setup. This time, I’m committing to tracking one week per page. The idea is to keep it simple. I will only prep the next week’s grid. I will keep it blank until the time comes. That way, I can adjust for any medication changes (which happen pretty regularly) without feeling bogged down by too much planning.

Staying accountable with support

I’ll also be sharing my progress on Instagram and Threads for accountability. Each post serves as a reminder to myself and a source of motivation, especially with any encouragement from others. Positive comments really make a difference, so feel free to cheer me on!

Tips to keep medication tracking manageable

If you’re setting up your own tracking system, here are a few ideas that can help:

1. One week at a time: Start with just a week per page. It keeps things focused and lets you adjust as needed.
2. Prep the next week’s grid: Have a blank grid ready, but leave it empty until you need it. This gives flexibility to accommodate any medication changes.
3. Set reminders: Use phone alarms for key times in case your routine changes daily.
4. Share and celebrate: Post about your progress! Updates let others cheer you on, and positive comments really boost motivation.

Have you used any strategies to stay on track with a challenging routine? I’d love to hear what’s worked for you too!

Originally posted at hivblogger.com

I want to say that I woke up yesterday morning after a night of bad sleep, but it would be more accurate to say that I woke up after a night of very little sleep due to coughing because of a chest infection.

Andrew went to our pharmacy as soon as it was just about to open as I had run out of my Salamol inhaler and needed it. He got it and came back quickly. After using it, my breathing was much better, but I still reckoned that I needed to see a GP. So, it being Saturday morning and our regular GP being closed, we rang the out-of-hours service and got an appointment for 11:15. This meant we had to get to Port Laoise by then. Andrew then had to go to the pharmacy again so that I could take a Covid-19 antigen test. So that was his pharmacy visit number 2.

The antigen test returned negative, so we were clear to head on to the out-of-hours GP clinic. The easiest way to get there was to walk to the bus stop, get on the airport bus to Port Laois, get off at the hospital, and walk down the road to the out-of-hours GP clinic.

We arrived ahead of time, entered, sat down, and then I was called by the triage nurse to have my stats checked. Pulse of 94, SpO₂ of 94, too, my temperature was 35.9ºC. She didn’t check my blood pressure, but I was pretty certain it would have been high, as usual, as well.

I went back out to wait for the GP to call me in. Within a couple of minutes, he called me, and I entered his consultation room. I explained what was going on. He listened to my chest and said that there was a bit of a wheeze, so he prescribed

1. Amoclav 500mg/125mg one tablet, three times a day, spaced evenly through the day for seven days.
2. Deltacortril Enteric 5mg, six tablets, once a day with or after food for five days.

On our return to Monasterevin, we visited the pharmacy again, the third time for Andrew in one day, to have the prescription dispensed. Then we returned home. Yesterday, I had two of the Amoclave tablets and one of the Deltacotril enteric doses as well.

I am sure that these medications will help the chest infection go away. Today, I managed to walk to the main street of Monasterevin to visit a cafe for lunch. On my walk back, Andrew nipped into the local SuperValu, and I waited in the sun on a public bench. It was lovely being out in the sun in shorts and a T-shirt. Now, I am sitting back at home in the sitting room while Andrew naps upstairs in his office. This evening I will take the second Amoclav tablet for today with the Deltacortril enteric dose for today with some toast and jam.

Originally posted on HIVBlogger.com.